I moved out to a mining town to try my luck at a different career, I applied for a couple of underground jobs and didn’t get a look in, so I went door knocking and a drilling company said if I pass a drug test you can start today, it was working in all the elements of weather on the salt lake on a 2 and 1 roster, I really wanted to get underground, speaking to a couple of locals they said if I come down to footy training they will get me a start at a underground site close by, I started training and within 2 weeks I got the job at the place that I wanted to be, I got taken underground to see what I thought I got shown all aspects of what each persons job was and the one that stuck out which I new was for me was a air leg miner, we climbed up a few narrow ladders walked up a slot and across some wooden boards over an open hole and followed this small vent bag and loud noise until we got to the face, I met this guy who was working in this area covered in dust sweat and nickel, he shakes my hand and just about broke it with a big smile on his face and had a crack at the shift boss for coming up empty handed, he also told me not to do the same ever again.

We had a chat and then he told me to go and take some gear down with me, I couldn’t work out how he got all the gear up were he was and that he had to bring so many different items up and down.

The leg and machine weighed about 50kgs which was nearly the same weight as the guy doing the work, the shift boss said I had a long way to go before I could even think about doing the work that he was doing and the awareness that was needed about ground conditions and how to do it was not for everyone, i knew this would be my job. The money was well deserved for what these guys did day in and day out and the more they did the more they got paid which was right up my alley. Coming into mining with a lot of debt and wanting a better life for me and my family this was the motivation that I needed. I got shown the rest of the mine and taken back to the surface to get on a truck. I had never driven a truck before, but a couple of laps on the Rom I was sent underground, you don’t go very fast down the decline around 15 to 20km but it feels like your flying with not much room either side of the truck. I worked my way through the many different positions underground, there was no secret to it, just come to work on time fit and ready, be proactive, be accountable. Do all 1% tasks, have high standards and don’t expect anything less. Do extras and look for opportunities to improve and grow. I started scraping for all the air-leg miners. This was physically demanding working in poor ground conditions and high humidity areas, I quickly learned how each air leg operator wanted the job setup. I would drag all there gear up to each level and try to set them up they way I would want to be setup. This made them get more done and make more money, a lot of these old school air-leg miner would reward me with cash which made me do even more. I started coming in on weekends when the mine was closed to rehab areas and bolt and mesh were needed. I got given my own level and went onto permanent dayshift as an air-leg miner. This was the job I wanted, I got paid for all the work I did every meter of ground taken out, every bolt and sheet of mesh I put up. Also the danger money was warranted as there were many times I had to stop and reassess the situation due to this danger. Coming out of the hole every day completely covered in nickel having drunk over 10lts of water to try and stay hydrated was my life for the next few years. Doing 30meters rises, sub levels, slots and drives always trying to do that bit more as that carrot was dangled in front of me to earn more. The ground down the nickel mine that I was working in was not the best and always talking to you, popping and cracking as the weight shifted. Every now and then there would be a big bang or seismic event which would keep us all on our toes causing major damage to the ground support and area you were working in. Many times after one of these events I would find a safe rock to sit on and write a letter to my wife and unborn kids about what I would like to say if anything were to happen to me. Then get back into to it to make more money. I had a great bunch of people working in the same mine as me but most of the day you would work alone sharing stories on the cattle truck on the way up out of the hole. There was lots of different events that happened underground and at 1 point did get trapped but will write about that another time. RIP all the fallen miners. Cheers